Chris Beardshaw's top Spring garden tips

Teaming up with Philips Outdoor Lighting, gardening expert Chris Beardshaw shared these handy tips and tricks to show us how we can all make the most of our outdoor space.

Chris Beardshaw is working with Philips Outdoor Lighting to show you how to maximise your outdoor space, using lighting to illuminate, create atmosphere and keep your garden secure. We asked him a few questions about garden trends, and what we should be planting now...

Chris, how can we use lighting to get more from our gardens? All lighting in the garden should be viewed as a means of making the space more accessible and enjoyable well into the evening. To do this, consider what role the lights are to play. For instance, in high traffic areas and those adjacent to main pathways and terraces, it is important to allow sufficient light for easy access. Select different lighting solutions in different parts of the garden to reinforce the character of the space. Use stylish geometric and formal lighting close to dining and entertaining spaces, but subtle, concealed and wash lighting in less formal or intimate areas. Consider the features you have already, and how you could use these to enhance the garden when lit - specimen plants, sculptures, elegant planters and water features should all be enlivened when individually spotlighted.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Any key garden trends you’ve noticed for this year? The increased use of solar powered lights is a result of the improvement in solar technologies and design applications. With most solar lights now capable of producing powerful beams, they are increasingly used in favour of the more traditional cable forms. There's real diversity in the styles of solar lights, which means you can use them for either traditional or contemporary schemes. The longevity of the new solar lights means that even on a Winter's day, a well-positioned light could offer six hours of illumination.

What do you love most about creating a garden? The garden is a space which responds to the individual needs and aspirations of the gardener - it is a blank canvas on which we can play out our ideas and designs. These become four dimensional theatrical pieces, experiments and adventures in the relationship between people and nature. There are no rules and and no limit to what can be achieved, except the imagination of the individual gardener.

Any tips for those of us with limited outdoor space? While most people aspire to have larger gardens, the reality is that some of the most impressive gardens are those of limited space. It is worth remembering that large gardens are always, in some way, divided into a sequence of smaller more contained spaces, each with a distinct personality. Therefore the trick to maximise space in a small garden is to ensure that you attribute a distinct character via planting choice, paving style, furniture trend etc. Don’t forget to maximise the space visually by planting specimens, textured planting and features such as fountains and pools. Also consider the use of colour carefully, as cooler hues like blues, indigo and violet create the impression of spaciousness. Lighting the boundaries and features of your garden at night will ensure that the visual scale of the space is always maximised, too.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

What should we be planting in Spring? Planting at this time of the year is in full flow. From herbaceous borders to vegetable and herb gardens, there should be no space left empty of a plant. Of course, for most of us, time and resources limit the amount of planting we can complete - especially in new gardens - which means that the sowing of annual flowers via seeds is hugely valuable. Available in such diverse ranges, these hardy and half hardy annuals can be sown directly into cultivated weed-free ground, where they will establish in just a few weeks. Flowering takes place right through summer and well into the late autumn months, producing wonderful, informal displays. And this is all achieved for the price of a few packets of seed!

Good Housekeeping, Part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network
Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.